AARP Hearing Center
Key takeaways
- Recognize that Alzheimer’s disproportionately impacts women, so focused research and awareness is essential.
- Empower yourself with knowledge and prevention strategies to protect women’s brain health.
- Adopt a brain-healthy lifestyle — stay active, social, well-rested and mentally engaged to delay Alzheimer’s.
Summary
Alzheimer’s disease disproportionately affects women, with nearly two-thirds of the more than 7.4 million Americans living with the condition being female. Maria Shriver, founder of the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement, highlights the urgent need to focus research and awareness on women’s brain health. By adopting a brain-healthy lifestyle that includes staying physically active, maintaining social connections, prioritizing sleep and engaging in cognitive activities like learning new skills, women can potentially delay or prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s.
Shriver emphasizes empowerment through knowledge and prevention, encouraging women to take control of their brain health and support ongoing research. Understanding the unique risks women face not only transforms the Alzheimer’s narrative but also inspires actionable steps toward healthier aging with strength and independence.
The key takeaways and summary were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.
Full Transcript:
[00:00:00] Myechia: More than 7.4 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s.
[00:00:05] And nearly two out of three are women. How has that influenced the way that you think about this
[00:00:10] disease and what can be done? Maria: I came to be an Alzheimer’s advocate through my father’s diagnosis.
[00:00:16] And then the more questions I started asking about women, the numbers seemed to be different.
[00:00:22] I partnered with the Alzheimer’s Association and AARP, and we did the definitive report that changed the narrative around Alzheimer’s to put women
[00:00:33] firmly at the center of this disease. That gave birth to the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement, because there
[00:00:39] was no organization focused strictly on trying to answer the question of why do women get this more, and to fund research into women’s brain health.
[00:00:48] This new report we just did here with the Cleveland Clinic, “The State of Women’s Health 2026,” people said, “I didn’t know--”
[00:00:56] Myechia: Yeah ... Maria: “...that women were more vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease.” And I’m trying to update the story.
[00:01:02] I’m trying to put women at the center, and I’m trying to turn it into an empowering story.
[00:01:08] Myechia: And I love the fact that you’re focused on prevention. You’ve been a powerful advocate for brain health. How has this impacted the way you think about your own brain health, and what are
[00:01:15] some of the things that you’re doing now? Maria: We now know that many of the cases of Alzheimer’s can be
[00:01:20] or perhaps delayed or prevented if we adapt to a brain-healthy lifestyle. I try to stay active.
[00:01:26] I try to stay socially connected. I now think about how my sleep impacts my brain health.
[00:01:32] I think about meditation. I think now about exercising for my brain and for strength so that I can age well.
[00:01:40] That I can age with strength, that I can age independently. That my children don’t have to worry about me.
[00:01:46] I’m learning mah-jongg now for my brain health. Myechia: Very good for the brain. That’s right. Maria: Very good for the brain. I’m thinking, .What else can I learn?
[00:01:51] Can I learn a language? Can I learn the piano? No, I can’t. Myechia: Gotta know your limitations. Maria: Exactly. Myechia: And stretch yourself too.
[00:01:56] I love that. Maria: But I think like, oh, I now know that if I walk after dinner, that’s good to lower my, you know, glycemic index.
[00:02:03] Myechia: That’s right. Maria: I should do that, you know? Myechia: I love this. Maria: All of these things that I try to pay attention to and then implement.
[00:02:09] Myechia: When you talk with other women, what are you encouraging them to do and how are they responding to you? Maria: Take control of your health.
[00:02:15] You have power. Take control of your brain health. And keep asking questions, keep funding research, because then we
[00:02:22] learn more and we can do better.
